M16A3
The M16A3 is an assault rifle unlocked at Rank 31 or can be purchased with Credits (CR) History The M16A3 is a modified version of the M16A2 adopted in small numbers by the U.S. Navy SEALs, Seabee, and Security units. It features the M16A1 trigger group providing "safe," "semi-automatic." and "fully automatic" modes instead of the A2's "safe," "semi-automatic," and "burst." Contrary to popular belief, the M16A3 does not feature a removable carry handle nor can it have rails. This misinformation is spread by large video game franchises such as Battlefield. Gameplay In-game, the M16A3 is a primary weapon found in the assault class. It is in short, the full auto variant of the M16A4. The M16A3 deals 32 damage within 90 studs and drops to 24 damage at 150 studs. The shot-to-kill of the M16A3 is quite average for its class while the damage drop off range is a little bit above average. This rifle fires at 800 RPM in full auto and has a very low time-to-kill, the second of its category, after the FAMAS. However, the high fire rate also means the faster ammunition burning out. Fortunately, the fact that the assault rifles are widely used and the 5.56x45 Nato compatibility helps the user to easily refill his/her weapon. The M16A3 has a very low blowback/visual recoil, which is very suitable to track an enemy on move at medium range. The first shot recoil of this rifle is quite high that it needs some recoil control and good attachments. Nevertheless, the physical recoil pattern is low with a mixture of both low horizontal and vertical recoils. The M16A3 has noticeably good recoil recovery. In semi-auto mode, the M16A3 can effortlessly score multiple shots on target very fast, which is a noticeable trait of the M4s and M16s. This, and the fact that the front iron sight is farther away from the rear one, can be an advantage in a way, as the front iron sight appears thinner, allowing for overall better target acquisition compared to the shorter M4/M4A1. One major statistic that hinders the aforementioned qualities is the high muzzle flash. Compared to the M4A1, it is generally higher, it completely blocks off the view of the iron sights, hindering target acquisition. The Flash Hider or a suppressor are generally recommended, at the cost of generally lower hip and aim stability. Another option is to use a Suppressor, at the cost of reduced damage and overall effective range, but also improve the recoil pattern. It is generally recommended to use an optic/red dot, which can increase target acquisition, albeit rather poorly because of the muzzle flash, and the fact that the front iron sight is not removed. The MARS sight is generally a good, even great option, because the reticle and lens are higher than other optics, and the MARS is generally a tall sight, which makes the front iron sight less visible. And at the same time, muzzle flash is less visible. However, if the player doesn't mind the muzzle flash, and the lack of removal of the front iron sight, any other optic is recommended. The M16A3 is overall a good assault rifle, and it can be seen as a direct upgrade to the M4A1, though the visually lower sight FOV and high amount of muzzle flash can be seen as a rather major problem, the M16A3 still remains a great gun, it has higher minimum damage, and overall effective ranges, and can be a great substitute for the M16A4 for the people who don't like the burst mode. Pros And Cons Pros * Very usable default iron sights, where usage of optics is recommended, but not required. * Overall stable recoil, despite the high vertical recoil and blowback recoil. * Large max damage range. * High RoF Cons * Lots of muzzle flash which can disorient or completely block off the view of the iron sights. * Slightly lower ADS FOV, which makes it less effective at long ranges without a fov increasing optic/sight, not confirmed. Trivia *The M16A3 in Phantom Forces is actually a M16A4-R0901 which is featured the "safe," "semi-automatic." and "fully automatic" like the M16A3. Yet, as it a M16A4, it has its removable carry handle as well as a full set of rails on the handguard. *The M16A4 and the M16A3 have the same model excpet the M16A3 has a black magazine instead of a grey one. *Like the M16A4 and TEC-9, the M16A3 has no trigger. *It's cocking mechanisms are the same as the M4/M16 series, as they are all based off of each other. Gallery